Rumi/ Miami Beach

Rumi, the 13th century mystic, may have served as an inspiration for this South Beach nightclub/restaurant, but I doubt he would recognize it. Mevlana Celalladin Rumi lived a life more restrained than the sybaritic pleasures of South Beach allow.

Still, developer Alan Roth, who created Rumi the club with partner Sean Saladino, says the mystic's words were an inspiration to him. There is no doubt that designer Nancy Mah has created a stunning space done up in dark earth tones: a large bar area at the front, a long and relatively narrow dining area at the back and a huge staircase ascending to a second level that doesn't kick into gear until late in the evening.

Forget the seedy stretch of Lincoln Road outside, and look for the red door with no sign, and three men in black at a red velvet barricade screening who comes in.

Before it opened, Roth proclaimed South Beach's need of a supper club that eschewed the customary "loud, obnoxious, head-banging scene" and sought instead a spot of cool tranquility. Obnoxious Rumi is not, nor is it cool and tranquil. The music is cranked up to high volume before anyone arrives and slowly escalates through the evening. Even early diners will find conversation difficult by mid-meal. But what an incredible meal.

For much of the evening, Rumi attracts a clientele that appears to have just dropped in from Bal Harbour to silently advertise the work of some of the area's best cosmetic surgeons. They have to eat too, of course, and at Rumi they finally have a trendy club where there is a strong, albeit quiet, focus on food. The menu is wonderful and wonderfully executed.

From a simple salad of bibb lettuce with lemon and tarragon ($8) to the tenderest fried calamari in town ($11), Rumi does everything with subtle flair and considerable élan. The succulent, barely breaded calamari is set off with a sour mirliton relish. Meaty rillettes of shredded jerk pork ($11) have a lovely aroma of Chinese five-spice powder and get a nice bite from marinated mango and sherry vinegar.

A thin disc of finely diced salmon tartare ($12) is augmented with a dollop of cool avocado mousse, while an unconventional shrimp cocktail ($12) is served on a plate with tomato jelly and candied lemon instead of cocktail sauce.

The best starter, though, is a simple bowl of tiny boniato gnocchi in a light parmesan cream sauce and given a dusting of fragrant allspice ($12). It is ethereal in texture and flavor.

Like the appetizers, many of the best main courses are deceptively simple. Sauteed red snapper ($22) is paired with a salad of hearts of palm and potatoes with a touch of red curry and coconut. Salmon ($22) is slow baked and seasoned with asparagus, tomato and bacon and egg for a surprising combination of richness and flavor.

The top fish, in my book, is a simply extraordinary chunk of pan-roasted mahi mahi on a bed of finger bananas, onions and lime ($24). The proportion of banana is so perfectly judged, its flavors end up elusive and haunting.

Another wonderfully subtle dish is the roast pork tenderloin ($22), delicate enough to be cut with a fork and perfectly matched to a slightly nutty puree of calabaza squash with brown butter.

A grilled strip steak ($28), apparently an obligatory inclusion on contemporary South Beach menus, was clumsy and nearly tough by comparison, though the homemade tamarind Worcestershire sauce that came with it was reason enough to try it anyway.

A boneless and partially flattened half-chicken ($22) with crisp skin and moist meat is another good meat option, and the accompanying risotto with peas, garlic and saffron is terrific.

Desserts at Rumi ($7-$9) are just as carefully balanced as the main courses; I particularly liked the cafe con leche coffeecake, a nifty departure from the ubiquitous underbaked chocolate cakes still found on menus around town. Key lime pudding could use more bite, but the banana-and-chocolate chip brownie (more appropriately designated a cake) is just fine with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The wine list at Rumi is manageable in size and intriguing in selection, with a good balance of well-known bottles and selections for those inclined to pre-dining research. Service is polished and struggles admirably against the deafening soundtrack to both be heard and stay calm. I'm getting ear plugs and then heading back.